Morning vs. Evening: Crafting the Perfect Eye Skin Care Routine

The skin around our eyes is unique compared to the rest of the skin on our body. This area is naturally lower in collagen levels - it's very sensitive and thin and serves as a canvas that broadcasts more than just your appearance - it reveals your vitality and well-being. How often have you had someone ask you, "Are you okay? You look tired today," just because the skin under your eyes displayed slight puffiness or darker circles, betraying the fatigue or stress you might be feeling.   

The skin surrounding the eyes is exceptionally thin and delicate compared to the skin on the rest of our face and body. It’s the area with naturally less protective fatty layers and collagen, meaning it’s more prone to damage and signs of aging. As we age, the membrane that’s supposed to hold back the fatty tissue protecting your eyes inside our eye sockets gets thinner and thinner, causing the fat to push forward - resulting in puffy eyes, dark circles, and bags under our eyes. In areas with more collagen, such as the cheeks or forehead, the skin is better equipped to resist the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Collagen is also essential for wound healing and tissue repair. As the skin around the eyes is naturally low in collagen, injuries or inflammation may take longer to heal. This can lead to prolonged discomfort and sensitivity after rubbing the eyes or getting a minor scratch. The skin around the eyes contains fewer oil glands, which are responsible for keeping our skin moisturized and supple. As a result, this area tends to dry out faster and is more prone to dehydration, leading to fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. Also, the constant movement of our eyes, blinking, squinting, and expressions places additional strain on this sensitive region, making it prone to developing crow's feet and expression lines.  

Lastly, the eyes are incredibly sensitive sensory organs, constantly processing visual information from the environment. This heightened sensitivity requires the presence of a highly developed nervous system around the eyes, making the whole area more responsive to touch, temperature, and other external stimulation.  

Morning Eye Care Routine

Your skincare routine in the morning should focus on protection and preparation for the day ahead. The daytime routine is essential for shielding your delicate eye area from environmental aggressors, such as UV radiation and pollution. Starting with gentle cleansing, you remove impurities that may have accumulated during sleep. Hydration is crucial at this time to maintain skin moisture levels. An eye cream with antioxidants helps combat free radicals, reduce puffiness, and create a smoother canvas for makeup application. 

We recommend IRIS™ C-Concentrated Brightening Eye Cream, a velvety-soft and ultra-lightweight cream that instantly color-corrects and brightens dark circles. Packed with moisturizing and renewing ingredients, this antioxidant-rich eye cream smooths the delicate eye area, minimizing fine lines while stimulating microcirculation to reduce the appearance of under-eye bags and uneven skin tone.

Applying SPF eye cream or sunscreen is essential to protect against harmful UV rays, which can lead to premature aging and skin damage. When applying concealer or makeup, be cautious not to pull or tug on the skin, which can contribute to wrinkles over time. When moisturizer is also part of the eye care routine, the frequent question of debate is whether to put the eye cream before or after moisturizer. The answer lies in the simple rule of applying products based on thickness or texture. Eye creams are usually richer and heavier than moisturizers, and when that’s the case, it should go on after your moisturizer. However, if it’s lighter, then it should be applied before.

Morning Puffiness 

Puffy eyes usually appear as a result of the natural aging process, but lifestyle factors such as what you eat and drink and how much you sleep have a huge impact as well.  Here are common causes of puffiness: 

Salty food: One of the most common causes of puffy eyes is the overconsumption of salt. A large salt intake leads to fluid retention due to sodium, a component of salt and an essential electrolyte that helps maintain the balance of fluids inside and outside our cells. When there is too much sodium, it disrupts this delicate balance as our body attempts to dilute the excess sodium by retaining more water. 

Fatigue and lack of sleep: no matter how much you care for your eyes, getting adequate sleep is essential for your skin. Aim for at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night; otherwise, you may experience fluid and blood retention around your eyes, which leads to waking up with eye bags. 

Dehydration: not drinking enough water or drinking too much alcohol can also lead to fluid retention and puffy eyes, as our body will try to store as much water as possible. With these causes in mind, it’s essential to establish healthy lifestyle habits first. 

Regarding skin care that can specifically help with puffy eyes, we recommend IRIS™ Hydrating Hydrogel Eye Mask, which instantly revives tired, puffy, and stressed eyes. Soaked in a premium blend of Sea Moss, Collagen, Vitamin C, and Yuzu fruit, these cooling and soothing hydrogel patches help visibly depuff, firm, and brighten the delicate eye contour for lasting relief and a well-rested look.

Evening Eye Care Routine

While the morning eye care routine emphasizes protection and preparation for the day, the evening routine should prioritize repair and rejuvenation. At night, the skin naturally undergoes a renewal process, making it an ideal time to use more potent treatment products. Start by thoroughly removing makeup - cleansing is essential to eliminate impurities accumulated throughout the day. Treatment products, such as retinol or peptides, should be applied in the evening to address concerns like fine lines, dark circles, or puffiness.

The evening is also the right time to use richer and more nourishing eye care products that deeply hydrate and support the skin's overnight repair processes. We recommend IRIS™ Firming PM Eye Serum, formulated with an expert blend of retinol to help smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and mushroom extracts to hydrate the skin for improved elasticity. This powerful yet gentle overnight eye serum helps firm the eye contour so you wake up with a visibly rejuvenated look every single day.   

To maximize the absorption of IRIS™ skincare collection and utilize the full benefits of Swedish Eye Care Routine, pair it with IRIS™ 2 rejuvenating eye massager, which increases the absorption of ingredients in your eye care by 84% - pushing them deep into the skin, where they work best.